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newbee
« on: October 12, 2009, 11:54:36 PM »
Sorry Guys and gals i'm a real newbee to this CNC stuff, anyway i bought a CNC machine off ebay, it came with no instructions whats so ever and no cad software, i bought the Mach 3 software, installed it and set up the parallel port and the pins a ports as per the mach 3 website.
loaded up some Gcodes that i had someone do for me, started the stepdown motor pressed start on Mach 3 and you guessed it nothing,
i can jog on the software and see the numbers move on the XYZ axis but no movement on the machine, i can hear the machine change sound as each Gcode is run but no movement,
i am using a desktop dual core computer but as i said real new to this , i am guessing something real simple but i have no idea now
any help would be much appreciated
thanks in advance

Offline Fastest1

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Re: newbee
« Reply #1 on: October 13, 2009, 12:34:08 AM »
Believe me I am as lost you but further down the curve at this moment. Tired and cross eyed from reading in the wee hours yet? Anyway. reset is not flashing? Have you set up an E switch and is it really hooked up? I suffered grounding issues that would trigger a stoppage with no visible signs. But that lets hope that is not the issue. Really look thru the ports and pins and motor settings. Do your steppers resist your turning them by hand when the machine is powered up? I have minimal to no experience and I do notice more as I look thru all of the options on the toolbars to Mach. Have you watched the videos? The ones I have watched have helped. Regarding limits and homing and such.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2009, 12:36:32 AM by Fastest1 »
I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather, not like the passengers in the car! :-)
Re: newbee
« Reply #2 on: October 13, 2009, 04:20:52 AM »
thanks for the reply.
yeah Eswitch is set up
Reset is not flashing.
my steppers do resist when trying to turn by hand.
i have not watched the video yet but will do now
thanks

Offline Hood

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Re: newbee
« Reply #3 on: October 13, 2009, 05:18:16 AM »
Have you set your steps per unit and the velocity and acceleration to suit your motors/drives?
Hood

Offline Fastest1

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Re: newbee
« Reply #4 on: October 13, 2009, 08:35:17 AM »
Forutnately/Unfortunately there are quite a few videos. I watched some of them when I had no answers and it helped with problems that were about to arise LOL that I wasnt aware of. I didnt want the info it just happened to be applicable. At least your steppers are powered up correctly or it sounds right. What kind of machine did you purchase? Do you know what size steppers? For example my Sherline mill I am running 8000 steps, velocity of 24, accel of 5 and step pulse 1 and direction 0. Not that this will be the ultimate end all setting, but it is pretty accurate for what I know as of now. I am not a machinist just lucky enough to acquire and start to use some cnc stuff. The continuous mental challenges are what interest me I think. Most of my problems seem to be more related with how to hold the piece to the work surface.
I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather, not like the passengers in the car! :-)
Re: newbee
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2009, 03:13:07 PM »
Hey Hood
thanks for your input
Mate i have no idea what you are talking about, like i said i'm very new to this so i am not sure what you mean.

hey Fastest 1
no idea of stepper size, no idea what sort of machine it is lol
thanks again

Offline Hood

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Re: newbee
« Reply #6 on: October 13, 2009, 04:05:52 PM »
Ok well you have to set the amount of steps Mach puts out to move 1 unit. 1 Unit will either be 1 mm or 1`inch depending whether you are set up in metric or imperial.
To work out the steps per unit you need to know the type of motors, if steppers it is likely they will be 200 steps per revolution. Stepper drives nearly always have the ability to microstep, so that if you have the drives set to 10 microsteps it will take 10 x 200 = 2000 steps to rotate 1 revolution. Servos are a bit different but it is likely you have steppers. The pitch of the leadscrew/ballscrew and any gearing will also be needed before you can work out the correct steps per unit.

So really you need to find out what you have, if you can take some pictures of the hardware or provide a link to where you bought the machine that will probably let us determine what you have.
Hood
Re: newbee
« Reply #7 on: October 13, 2009, 04:11:52 PM »
thanks Hood
yes i have a stepper i know that much
i have set the steps in the config of Mach3.
i just watched the tutorial ON TROUBLESHOOTING and everything he said on the video i have done and still no movement, like i said before i can hear the stepper changing sound as i either jog or use a Gcode but the damn thing won't move

Offline Hood

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Re: newbee
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2009, 04:26:51 PM »
is it a loud noise? Try removing the motors from the axis and see if they turn without the axis friction. What have you got the velocity and accel set to and also what have you got the steps per unit set to?

Hood
Re: newbee
« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2009, 04:34:30 PM »
i have the steps set at 1800
i just watched the video on this section and just tried what he did on the tutorial but nothing,
no it's not a loud noise just a change in the sound
i will try and remove the motors if i know how lol
thanks